During the initial lockdown of the pandemic in 2020, like millions of people around the world, I was a little restless. With so much free time to spare, I decided to buy a new DLSR camera (a Sony A7iii to be exact) and tried to get better at photography, and hopefully impress at least one person.
So after more than one year of taking photographs and posting them on a weekly basis on my Instagram feed (@ashskywalker10), I feel like I am getting better.
Here is one of my earliest shots
And now I take photos like this
Here are 10 lessons I’ve learnt that I hope my be useful for those who are starting on their photography journey.
1. Copy the best to find your own voice
The best photos from the best photographers are the ones that have a distinct voice. It comes after years and years of practice. If you are only starting out, where do you start from in your journey to be a great photographer?
Do what I did and find photographs that you love. Go on Instagram and follow your favourite photographers (for me, I would go to Elaine Li, Peter McKinnon, Dylan Furst or Jordi Koalitic). You could even go to Pinterest and find good photos there.
Identify your favourite photographs from those sources, and then ask yourself why do you like these photos so much? Why do they mean a lot to you? When you can answer those two questions, then that is the baseline you should be achieving for in your photographs. Go out and emulate the same photos and learn how to do it. Do this again and again.
If you do this, you will eventually find your own distinct voice, and you’ll have a wealth of new ideas pouring into your head. Ideas that will lead to new photographs that’ll seperate you from the rest. Which leads into my next point
2. Keep a notebook of ideas for potential photos
Every now and again, an idea might pop into your head for a great photograph. Jot it down somewhere on a list you can refer back to again. The next time you’re out and about trying to take some photographs, you will have a trove of ideas to look back and take from, and plan accordingly. The best photographers all do this, and you should too.
3. The difference between a photo and a snap shot
AKA your photo needs to have a story. There needs to be thought and purpose put towards each photo you take. When someone looks at your photo, they need to know what the story is straight away i.e. someone crossing the street, or at the very least, evoke a feeling out of them from the mood of the photo. If you’re going to post random snap shots you take on your phone, any like you get will most likely be pity likes from friends and family.
For reference, here is a snap shot from myself. There’s so much things happening in the picture and way too busy, I don’t know what I’m supposed to follow here and doesn’t evoke any feeling from me when I’m looking at it. There’s nothing special or remarkable about it.
Now here’s a photograph that focuses on one subject which is the tram coming towards the audience. Notice the placement of the tram and the track lines leading towards the camera. The combination of the tram is and the leading lines grabs the audiences attention. Almost as if the the tram is going to hit the audience if they stare at it too long.
In addition to this, the water from the rain that is still on floor adds to mood and atmosphere which only enhances the photo with a magical feel to it.
4. Take photos from weird and unusual angles
When you take photos from an eye line perspective, it seems normal and conventional. The next time you are going to take a photo, take the picture of the same subject from different angles. You can place your camera on the floor. Perhaps you can take it from a birds eye level. Even easier, get up close to it and maybe tilt your camera.
Taking pictures from angles that humans aren’t normally accustomed to seeing gives your photo a new dimension that makes it different and will grab audience’s attention.
For example, take this photo here. It works so much better with the camera placed on the ground rather at eye level if I was standing up. It makes the subject seem larger than life, and the perspective of the bridge gives it a never ending quality to it.
5. Be patient
I used to think when I would go into the city or into the forest, that I could take out my camera anywhere and anytime, and find a good photo. That is ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE. What I’ve learnt the hard way is that the best way to take a photo is find good locations that would make for good photos, and take the time to find those locations, no matter how long it takes.
After you have set up your camera, wait until the right subject matter and lighting converge together to make a great photo. Sometimes it might take a day or two to find that good photo. Perhaps even longer. As long as you have time to spare, a good photo opportunity will present itself to you.
Audiences will only give one glance towards your photo before they scroll to the next photo. So make sure you put 100% effort towards each photo to impress them.
6. Every photo can be plussed up
Walt Disney used to always say to his Imagineers at his Disney parks, to try and plus up each of their theme park attractions. He believed that every ride could be improved by just enhancing one element of it.
The same applies to the photos you take. When you take a photo, have a look at it straight away. Review it, and then think to yourself what is one thing you can do to improve the photo by just changing one thing, and then do it. Whether it’s taking the same photo again but slightly different or editing the photo in post, JUST DO IT. Again, you only get one chance to impress your audience with your photo.
7. Take different photos in different styles
I find that there is no better way to improve your photography skills then by trying your hand at different photo styles. Urban photography, toy photography, Black and white photography, plant photography etc.
The skills you need to pick up to make great photos in each of those styles will be invaluable to your photo skillset that will increase how good your photographs. Plus, isn’t it going to be a bit boring not only for your audience but yourself too if the only photos you take are just sunsets?
8. Somewhere in a mediocre photo, there’s a good photo trying to come out
On your quest to become a great photographer, you will have SO many photos you will deem not worthy to be released to the public. I wouldn’t throw those photos away too hastily there my friend. Revisit those photos again and see if there is anything in there that could be great photo. It could involve a simple edit to the colours, and even just a crop.
Here’s a picture of a Coke can I froze in ice. Now the feedback I received was that it was fine. I received maybe a couple of likes.
A few months after, I cropped only to the top of the can, and reposted that photo. This photo got so much likes and comments on how good it was, and surprisingly it was from the same exact photo above that didn’t get the same amount of attention.
A little bit of change and perspective can make a world of difference.
9. Not everyone will like your photo
Everyone has different ideas on what makes a good photo. Some people love a good portrait photo that has amazing lighting. Some people love a good cyberpunk photo. Some love a good sunset photo. Once you realise you can’t please everyone, just create a photo that YOU love. I guarantee you’ll find others who appreciate the photo as much as you do.
10. Post your photos online regularly
I always say there’s no better motivation to take better photos than the post a photo to your social media feed and not get a lot of likes. If a photo I posted doesn’t get a lot of likes, I figure out what part of the photo people didn’t like about it and get some constructive criticism. Either from friends/family or from people in the photo community.
Don’t take the criticism too hard, but learn from it and you can keep improving. Remember, you become a better photographer with each photo you take, so DON’T stop.
Hopefully there was good lessons in there for anyone who is interested in becoming a photographer. If you are interested, you can follow my Instagram page @ash_skywalker10 and see the different photos that will be continually posted there.